Sharon Gray

32 Bloomingdale, Vermillion, SD 57069
605-624-8833 (home) 605-274-4907 (work) e-mail: Sharon_Gray@augie.edu
http://www.augie.edu/dept/edtech/

EDUCATION:

EXPERIENCE:

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIST, Augustana College, 1999-present  
I am in charge of faculty development in the area of instructional and information technology. Through workshops and one-on-one instruction, I help faculty effectively integrate technology and information resources into the teaching/learning environment. I also serve as Augustana's WebCT administrator, managing 60+ hybrid online courses.

INSTRUCTOR, Augustana College Computer Science Department, 1999-present

DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY, Briar Cliff College, 1995-1999

My responsibilities included: coordinating faculty development and support for effectively integrating technology into the curriculum; serving on committees which provide vision and focus for the College, sharing my awareness of innovative instructional developments and national trends; aiding in the design of instructional technology-enhanced classrooms; and coordinating expenditure of a roughly $30,000 annual budget. In the past two years, I have been instrumental in development of a Web-based distance education program and have helped Briar Cliff pilot partnerships with MCI and Terra International for the delivery of a Certificate of Management program to their employees. Central to the Web-based distance education program, has been development by faculty of nineteen Webized™ courses for delivery asynchronously over the World Wide Web. To expedite that process and to provide a common look and function to Briar Cliff's Webized™ courses, I created a template which incorporates instructional design principles and interactive elements for collaboration and constructive learning, while remaining flexible and responsive to individual instructor and course needs.

INSTRUCTOR, Briar Cliff College Computer Science and Education Departments, 1995-1999

College-level courses taught: 
COSC100 Word Processing - Word
COSC101 Spreadsheet Applications - Excel
COSC102 Database Applications - Access
COSC103 Presentation Software - PowerPoint
COSC250 Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues
(Taught face-to-face, but supplemented with an interactiveWeb site.)
COSC215 Fundamentals of Database Processing
CIS001M Web Publishing
(Taught face-to-face, but supplemented with an interactiveWeb site.)
CIS100 Introduction to Computers 
(Taught face-to-face, but supplemented with an interactiveWeb site.)
CIS275 Information Age and Society
(Taught completely over the Web.)
EDUC3IR  Computers and Technology in Education
HRM80IR  Using the Internet 
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY SERVICES COORDINATOR, Educational Technology Center, Kennesaw State College, 1994-1995
Supervised a 25-unit DOS/Windows Novell networked lab. Managed the distance learning lab (featuring two-way video and audio on Georgia's state-wide T1 teleconferencing network, GSAMS.) Managed the technical aspects, as well as the scheduling and training aspects in both labs. I personally provided training in the use of technology for educators from 950 public schools, as well as for college faculty. One of my primary tasks was to shift the focus of the targeted populations from the physical resource of computers to how technology can be effectively and efficiently incorporated into the curriculum as a tool to enhance learning.

MEDIA PRODUCTION COORDINATOR, Educational Media Center University of South Dakota, 1992-1994
In my capacity as Media Production Coordinator, I coordinated production of multimedia, video, audio, and graphic projects for faculty, students, and staff, supervising a graphic artist and a videographer, as well as work-study employees. I worked closely with faculty to create products to meet their curricular needs.

MEDIA SPECIALIST, GRAPHIC ARTIST, Educational Media Center, University of South Dakota, 1985-1992
I created instructional graphics, video, and multimedia productions, effectively working within project budgets and timelines. Through live and recorded presentations, I provided assistance to faculty on the effective use of graphics in courses taught over South Dakota’s RDTNetwork (South Dakota’s state-wide T1 teleconferencing network.)

CONSULTANT and PROVIDER OF EDUCATIONAL INSERVICE TRAINING, 1989-present
I provide in-service training for K-12 and post-secondary instructors on the effective use of technology in instruction. Specific topics have included: Using the Internet in Education; MIDI for Educators; Copyright Fair Use Compliance; Funding: Where to Find It; Video Production; and Community Involvement in Restructuring Education, among others.

MUSICIAN and COMPOSER, 1985-present
I compose, record, and perform original electronic music using an array of synthesizers and digital recording equipment. My words have been performed on South Dakota Public Radio. I have written production music for videos and soundtracks for plays, videos, and short movies.

TRAINING SESSIONS PRESENTED*:

Comparing Web-Based Instructional Tools—Choosing which (if any) Web course development tool to use can be a daunting challenge.  This challenge is compounded by need for faculty mastery of the technology, need to ensure academic rigor and integrity of online courses, and the reality of increased faculty workload.  Many who find themselves charged with choosing a Web course development tool have limited knowledge of product features.  This session provides participants an overview of online course development and delivery, including insights into which features might be useful and why.  Special attention is devoted to course delivery/management and to integrating collaborative elements. Through hands-on exploration of course development products of their choice, participants leave with a rudimentary working knowledge of Web course development and delivery.

Transforming a Traditional Course Into a Web-Based Course—Attendees learn to use a template to transform a traditional course into a web-based course. The pedagogical issues related to web-based instruction (WBI) and the need for means of collaboration among students and with the instructor is stressed. Faculty incorporate their syllabi, lecture notes, Microsoft PowerPointä presentations, graphics, and lists of pertinent websites into a functioning web-based course which they edit and maintain. Includes insight into server memory considerations and copyright "fair use" compliance.

Teaching in the Information Age—Carnegie units and seat time reflect Industrial Age needs for education. Information Age needs are, arguably, much different.  Educators must think outside the box and develop new ways of tapping vast information resources, helping students make sense of information and actually develop knowledge. Geared for educators in all areas, this hands-on workshop guides participants through finding and integrating instructional Web resources, collaborating in cyberspace, creating and maintaining Web pages, and dealing with copyright and Fair Use issues.  Participants will also explore ways of protecting students from undesirable Internet content and of discouraging hackers.  Finally, participants will learn how to tap information resources for their own professional growth, including becoming comfortable with and capitalizing on students who "know more than they do".

Using the Internet in Education—Through a combination of "virtual field trips" and hands-on activities, attendees are provided an opportunity to explore resources available to educators on the Internet. Topics include: e-mail, World Wide Web, copyright issues, professional development, and other items specific to educators' needs.

Finding and Incorporating Instructional Resources on the Web—Attendees explore the vast array of instructional resources related to their fields and discover ways to incorporate Internet resources into instructional design.

Distance Education—Instructors become familiar and comfortable with the technical and pedagogical aspects of using interactive two-way audio and video and Web-based distance education technology, both independently and as components of hybrid courses.

CONFERENCE SESSIONS PRESENTED*:

Creating a Web Course Design Template with FrontPage™—Syllabus'98, Sonoma, CA, July 1998: This hands-on workshop provided experience designing a course template using Microsoft FrontPage™ and included "virtual field trips" to actual courses on the Web. Special attention was devoted to integrating collaborative elements such as joint projects, synchronous and asynchronous discussions, and workgroups.

Effectively Integrating Instructional Technology: Retooling a Small College—Syllabus'98, Sonoma, CA, July 1998: This poster presentation reported on the impact Title III has had on Briar Cliff College. It focused upon the importance of a responsive faculty development and support program, which includes training sessions on equipment usage, software features, and pedagogical issues.

Teaching with Technology: Building Web-based Learning Environments—Association for Educational Communications and Technology National Conference, St. Louis, MO, Feb. 1998: This day-long session explored the pedagogical and technical issues associated with courses offered via the Internet. Attendees compared and critiqued some of the many Web-based instruction course design and course management tools available, including Web CT, TopClass, Web Course in a Box, Intrakal, CourseInfo, First Class, COW, and others.

Partnering With Businesses to Provide Educational Opportunities for Employees—Iowa Distance Learning Association Conference, Ames, IA, May 1997: This session suggested strategies for creating mutually beneficial alliances between institutions of higher education and businesses to provide employers with human resource development opportunities for their employees.

Avoiding Information Overload—Tech Launch 2000, Sioux City, IA, Oct. 1997, and Briar Cliff College, Sioux City, IA: As we move into the Information Age, we must learn to manage our time and attention in order to maintain productivity. This session offered insights and practical advice on such management, including tips for efficiently handling e-mail, voice-mail, push technologies, network media, and the Internet.

PUBLICATIONS:

PROFESSIONAL, SCHOLASTIC, and CIVIC ACTIVITY*: (*partial listings)

LONG-TERM PROFESSIONAL GOALS:

Educational communities are in a unique position to benefit greatly from the infusion of information technologies such as the Internet, multimedia, and interactive remote conferencing. Advances in telecommunications and fiber optics hold particular promise for education. At the same time, those advances create issues which will fundamentally impact the development of our society. It is my long-term goal to facilitate incorporation of appropriate technology into curricula, while imparting instructors with a sense of ease, familiarity, and comfort with technology. Technology must be one of the many tools good instructors have at their disposal.
 
smallpic.jpg (3907 bytes) Contact information: 
Sharon Gray, Instructional Technologist, 
Augustana College, 2001 Summit Ave., Sioux Falls, SD  57197
Sharon_Gray@wise.augie.edu, 605-274-4907 

Web-Based Instruction | Publications | Resumé | Curriculum Vitae | Family